Interchangeable casing wrist watch



g- 5, 1952 M. G. LAVIGNA INTERCHANGEABLE CASING WRIST WATCH Filed Jan. 7, 1949 FIG. I

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TORNEYS Patented Aug. 5, 1952 UNITED STATES PAT'ENQTFOFFICE.

Marcel G. Lavigna, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application January 7, 1949, Serial No. 69,707

3 Claims.

This invention relates to wrist watches and is directed particularly to a novel and improved lady's wrist watch which may be readily adapted for either informal or formal wear.

The invention further contemplates the provision of a decorative overcasing adapted to "be readily superimposed upon and to be removably fastened in place around the movement casing of a relatively-unornamented wrist watch to provide variety in appearance and utility.

In accordance with the present invention, a simple-lined every-day wear-wrist watch may, in a few moments and with a minimum of effort, be transformed into a more ornate evening-wear watch.

It has been the fashion to wear costume jewelry blending or in keeping with the particular scheme of the wearers costume, which, in the case of wrist watches, meant that a wearer would have one simple-lined watch for informal daytime or business use and one or more more ornate watches, decorated for instance with precious or semi-precious stones, for formal or evening wear. In accordance with the present invention, one simple-lined, daytime or business use wrist watch may readily, and relatively inexpensively, be temporarily transformed into as many attractive and more ornamental forms as the user may have need for and has auxiliary casings, as provided by the present invention. But one watch movement is required, as contrasted with the prior expensive practice of having separate complete wrist watches for day and evening wear.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front-face or top view of one embodiment of the present invention;

Figs. 2 and 3 are, respectively, side and back views of the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 1 and Fig. 4 is a back, perspective view of the decorative overcasing shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, as it appears when unmounted.

Referring now in detail to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive of the drawings, l is a simple-lined, relatively-unornamented wrist watch having a casing 2. 2' with a wrist band 3, 3' connected respectively to two opposite ends thereof and from which a spring winding stem 4 protrudes. An opening lug 5 is provided on the underside 2' of the casing so that access may be readily had to the watch movement. As will later be explained in detail, opening lug 5 is also utilized in maintaining the decorative casing illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, in place upon casing 2, 2'.

An overcasing or frame member 6, having ornamented sides 8. 9 and H and an unornamented side In form an opening I of sufficient size and appropriate contour to receive and frame casingZ, 2'. A'hinged clasp l2, fastened to the underside of frame side 8,- is provided for fastening frame member- 6 to wrist band 3.

A cutout l3 may be'provided in' frame side 9 to accommodates. winding stem .4, if the watch to be provided with the decorative overcasing of the present invention is of the stem wound yp J Precious or semi-preciousstones or other suitable ornamentation may be provided on the front faces of frame sides 8, 9 and H.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 through 4 is, as has heretofore been suggested, particularly adapted for use when the movement casing 2, 2 is provided with an opening lug 5 which is utilized in maintaining the decorative casing 6 in place when in use.

The decorative overcasing of the present invention shown in Figs. 1 through 4 may be readily attached to wrist watch I by threading wrist band 3' through opening I and placing the unornamented side [0 of the frame member 6 against the adjacent side of easing 2 so that it lies between band 3 and opening lug 5 on casing 2'. The opposite, decorated end 8 of frame member 6 is then brought down until it comes to rest upon the opposite end of easing 2, to form a frame around the face and movement casing of watch I. The free end of hinged fastening clasp I2 is then brought around beneath wrist band 3 and closed, whereupon unornamented end In of frame member 6 is maintained in place between wrist watch band 3' and opening lug 5. I

The watch I, provided with the decorative overcasing 6 securely but removably held in place by means of the clasp l2 cooperating with end l0 held between band 3 and lug 5 is now ready for formal use.

To readily remove the decorative overcasing of Figs. 1 through 4, in order to return the watch to a form suitable for informal or business wear, it is necessary merely to open clasp l2 and lift overcasing 6, thereby disengaging end H! from the position in which it is held between band 3 and lug 5.

While but one application of the invention is illustrated in the drawings, other embodiments, within the scope of the appended claims, are to be included within the contemplation of the invention. Similarly, other known fastening means may be substituted for those shown in the drawings without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A wrist watch readily adaptable for either informal or formal wear which comprises a watch movement enclosed in a simple-lined, relativelyunornamented casing, having a wrist band connected to two opposite ends thereof and an opening lug on'one end thereof, beneath said band, an ornamented overcasing adapted to be demountably fastened upon and to form a decorative frame around said relatively-unornamented casing and means, comprisinga hinged clasp on the underside of one end of said ornamented casing, said lug on said relatively-unornamented casing and said band, for removably mounting said ornamented overcasing in place upon said relatively-unornamented casing.

2. A wrist watch readily adaptable for either informal :or'formal wear-which comprises a watch movement enclosed in'a' substantially-rectangular, =relatively-unornamented casing, having a Wrist bandconnecte'd to two opposite ends thereofand an opening lug-on'pne-end'thereof, beneath saidband, an ornamented overcasing, having. one'ofitsends-unornametend and a hinged clasp on the underside of the opposite end thereof, an opening in "said casing of suflicient U size and appropriate contour to receive and frame said relatively-unornamented casing and means, comprising the unornamented end of said overcasing, cooperating with .said band, said opening lug and said hingedclasp, for removably 4 mounting said ornamented overcasing in place upon said relatively-unornamented casing.

3. An ornamented overcasing for readily and temporarily converting an informal use wrist watch, having a relatively-unornamented movement casing with a wrist band connected to two opposite ends thereof and an opening lug on one end thereof, beneath said band, into a formal use Wrist Watch, which comprises a frame member, having three ornamented and one unornamented sides forming therebetween an opening of sufficient size and of appropriate contour to receive and frame said movement casing and a hinged clasp on the underside of said frame member, opposite the aforesaid unornamented .sidethereof, adapted to cooperate with said band,

said opening lug and the unornamented side of said frame member to removably mount said frame member upon said movement casing.

MARCEL G. LAVIGNA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are'of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number vName Date 2,065,657 Coleman Dec. 29, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 20,696 Great Britain Oct. 8, 1914 42,578 Switzerland Jan. 24, 1908 439,336 France June 11, 1912 532,616 Great Britain Jan. 28, 1941 

